Sonning 1st XI 7 -1 Reading 4th XI

Sonning began 2020 with a bang by beating local rivals 7-1 in an at times one sided affair at the Doom Bar Arena. With Sonning and League top scorer Nick Leach still out with a broken finger suffered before Xmas and midfielder Jon Sharp unavailable, Steve Ridley was called upon for a second 1st XI appearance of the season.

Sonning started in trademark fashion and pressed hard from the first whistle, and had a couple of goals to settle the nerves early on in the game. Turning over possession seemingly at will, their opening goals both came from quick breaks and were finished clinically. The first by Jimmy Manser, and the second by Noel Plant. Plant’s goal in particular caught the eye, with him picking possession on the top of the circle with his back to goal. He beat a man before sliding home coolly as the Reading keeper went to ground. Ed Williamson added a third shortly after for a 3-0 lead at the break.

The second half followed much of the same pattern and Reading seemingly short of their aerial threat seemed unable to beat Sonning’s increasingly aggressive press. The home side converted three chances in a five minute period to kill the game with Huw Thomas scoring twice and Plant getting his second of the game with another top drawer finish from a seemingly impossible angle.

Thomas had a chance to get his hat trick before the game was out, but his sliding deflection attempt went wide from Manser’s driven cross from the left wing, before Ian Gallagher got in the goals to finish off Sonning’s scoring for 7-0.

Reading to their credit scored a late consolation goal, a slick deflected effort that did little to change the result, but denied Sonning a clean sheet to start the year. Sonning will be pleased to get their first league game of 2020 out of the way and now sit in a strong position, three points clear the top of MBBO 2. Next up, an away trip to Banbury, in what has proven to be a challenging fixture in recent years. #COTN

Squad: Ben Sully, Jonty Rider, Neil Pursell, Sam Terry, Pat Thomas, Ian Finlayson, Ed Williamson, Callum Richardson, Steve Ridley, James Lockhart, Ian Gallagher, James Manser, Noel Plant, Huw Thomas

Goalscorers: Ian Gallagher, James Manser, Noel Plant (2), Huw Thomas (2), Ed Williamson

MOTM: Huw Thomas

DOTD: Steve Ridley